An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit that forms a toner image on a print medium and a fixing unit that fixes the toner image onto the print medium by applying heat and pressure to the print medium. The image forming unit can form the toner image on the print medium by a colorant (decolorable toner) that is decolorized (colorless) by being heated at a predetermined temperature (decolorizing temperature). The image forming unit can form the toner image on the print medium by a usual colorant (color toner) that cannot be decolorized. In addition, a decolorizing device that takes in the print medium on which an image is formed with a decolorable toner and heats the print medium at a decolorizing temperature to decolorize the image on the print medium is in practical use. Also, an image forming apparatus equipped with the decolorizing device is in practical use.
For example, the image forming apparatus equipped with the decolorizing device takes in the print medium on which the image is formed with the decolorable toner and allows the print medium to pass through a transport path for fixing to decolorize the image. With such a configuration, there is a problem that printing and decolorizing cannot be performed at the same time.
For example, some image forming apparatuses equipped with a decolorizing device include a fixing heater and a decolorizing heater. With such a configuration, there is a problem that power consumption is increased when printing and decolorizing are performed at the same time.